4th on the Fourth

First of all, let me say that I thank God for the cardiovascular ability He has given me, and the desire to use it. I mean, ever since I was a kid racing big wheels in little organized races, I was aware of my own love for racing. If there was someone in front of me, I wanted to catch him. If there was someone I could lap, I wanted to lap them. Nowadays, as the years go by, I have had to get accustomed resisting my tendency to react in dog-like fashion whenever the veritable "rabbit" crosses my path; I simply cannot go on forever anymore. But I can still have fun trying.

In last Friday's Hillsboro Biathlon, I remember taking off on the 5 mile run with a smile. It's not the first time I've had that reaction. It was a gorgeous morning. I was thankful to be able to do this. And I was really cooking, if I may say that. Normally I see a lot of people ahead of me, but most of the superfast types must have skipped this race, because I was doing quite well in the standings. I managed to hold my own for the most part, and the smile, which was long gone by then, managed to return at the end of my 5 miles when I heard my family cheering for me.

Now for my favorite part - hopping on the bike. Hillsboro is always a little different because I'm guaranteed at least one calf cramp in that race, and have to coast on a few occasions to work out the cramps as they creep up. Nevertheless, I held on, only being passed by one person in the 20 mile adventure.

The rest of the Fourth of July weekend was full of action as well, with some four wheelin' in Taylorville after the race, and a birthday party with a cousin from Columbia, MO and his family meeting at our place to have a birthday party for his daughter with her grandmother from Chicago. Did you get all that? Good "times" all around.